Who knows what the prosperity Gospel is? It is the belief, typically among Charismatic Christians, that financial blessings and physical well-being are God’s will for them and that doing the ‘right’ things, that is, embodying faith in the right way, will lead to physical and material blessings. Can we see how the prosperity Gospel might lead to a rather individualistic approach to faith?
Can we recognise how faith might become more about people getting it right for themselves and assuming anyone else who is struggling is just doing it wrong and rightfully deserves whatever challenges they are facing? Can we see connections between this belief and the attitudes and behaviours of the Christian right at this time? What happens when the loudest voices proclaim these types of messages?
Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?”
People are aware of what Christians say and how they behave. If the most vocal among us behave in ways that seem selfish and hurtful, people stop trusting all Christians. The Gospel, which is flavoured with so much love, loses its taste. Why should people believe that a God they cannot see loves them when the Church they can see behaves in hurtful ways? It doesn’t matter that it is not all Christians, if people don’t know which ones they can trust it is hard to trust anyone.
Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?”
The message can be viewed as a warning to us about how Christians share the Gospel and we need to take seriously this warning. We don’t want to be the reason the Gospel loses its flavour. We want to be good salt for the earth. Jesus also says something about letting our light shine: “No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”
Salt and light, Jesus highlights how important what we do is not only in these metaphors but in his own actions, in the example of his life, death, and resurrection. Christians are salt for the earth, flavouring the world with God’s love. We are light to the world, shining messages of hope and possibility. We can tell a different story, one that centres compassion, understanding, community, healing, and love. We can do so in ways that are public, intentional, and explicit. We can love out loud so that those who need to know that Christians are loving and compassionate can find us.
What are the things we already do to love out loud, to tell a different story? (Clothing cupboard, relationship with Pride community, creation care, support for vulnerable, Legacy of Heroes, etc) These are important acts to showing the world God’s love. In these actions we are reminded that everything we do that centres the needs of others, that brings awareness to the struggles and gifts of others, helps spread the light and tell a different story, one that centres compassion, understanding, community, healing, and love. By sharing our gifts in this way, God can work in and through us, spreading the flavour of the Gospel and letting the light of love shine in the world.
We are salt for the earth and light for the world. We are called to let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to God. May we continually do so trusting that with act of love we embody, God working in and through us will do more than we can ask or imagine. This we pray as we sing: 502 You are Salt for the Earth